Sergei Bobrovsky's contract carries a cap risk the Maple Leafs can't easily escape

This summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and assumed quite a bit of risk in the process.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers was signed to a three-year deal worth $21 million. This puts Bobrovsky at an AAV of $7 million.

Leafs general manager John Chayka has constructed a goaltending tandem of Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz. It's a tandem with loads of potential, but there is certainly some risk involved.

Bobrovsky's 35+ contract leaves Toronto almost no clean escape if his play collapses

Bobrovsky is 37 years old, which means he will be 40 when the deal ends. This deal is structured as though Bob is getting older, as signing bonuses consume Years 2 and 3. During this time, the total salary against the cap declines.

Thanks to the NHL's 35+ rules, Toronto would not be getting any cap relief from a potential contract buyout. Even assigning Bobrovsky to the minors would provide very limited cap relief under the 35+ rules, leaving most of his $7-million hit on Toronto's books.

Additionally, Bobrovsky has a full no-movement clause throughout his contract. This means the Maple Leafs would be unable to move his contract if things get tough.

The risk in Bobrovsky's signing isn't necessarily the salary. It is the fact that the Leafs don't have a way to cleanly break things off if Bobrovsky doesn't live up this name.

Bobrovsky's $7M cap hit overlaps directly with Matthews' final contracted season

Bobrovsky carries the full $7 million cap hit throughout the 2027-28 season. That just so happens to be the final season of Auston Matthews' contract.

The worst-case scenario is as follows: Bobrovsky declines sharply after his first year with the team. Toronto then looks to retool around Matthews, yet $7 million is still tied up in between the pipes. The Leafs subsequently have limited ways to create relief from the Bobrovsky deal.

$7 million could be used to sign a top-four defenseman, a strong top-six forward, or multiple depth additions that can bolster the Leafs' need for scoring.

Toronto signed Bobrovsky to maximize the Matthews window. If the contract ages badly, it can start consuming that same window instead.

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